


Look, Girls Are Nice

by Rehearsal_Dweller



Series: Love at First Sight's for Suckers [4]
Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: F/F, genderswap AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:20:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25153855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rehearsal_Dweller/pseuds/Rehearsal_Dweller
Summary: "Marry me?"
Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly, Sarah Jacobs/Katherine Plumber Pulitzer
Series: Love at First Sight's for Suckers [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1714258
Comments: 16
Kudos: 41





	Look, Girls Are Nice

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy a little more than 1500 words of pure fluff and silliness in the girl au, because I promised some people David could be happy.

“When’s the last time you wore a skirt, Jack?”

Jack laughs. “At least four years, I think.”

“How does it feel to live my dreams?” says Davey, who’s laying perpendicular to her, with her head on Jack’s thigh.

“I don’t know, sweetheart,” says Jack. She brushes that stubborn curl away from Davey’s eyes. “It’s not as if you don’t spend most of your time in trousers, too.”

Davey smiles. “I suppose. I just feel so clumsy in skirts. I’d rather always be able to see where my legs are going.”

“You’re not that much less clumsy in trousers, honey,” Katherine says and sends Sarah spiraling into hysterical laughter. The four of them are sitting on the Jacobses’ building’s rooftop, enjoying the pleasant evening breeze and a little time to themselves.

“Oh, Kitty, you haven’t seen _anything_ ,” Sarah says when she’s pulled herself back together. “You’ve seen Day in skirts, what, a handful of times? She fell down the stairs the other day because she stepped on her hem! I’m just as tall as she is, and I _never_ have these problems.”

“Almost eighteen years of life and you still haven’t figured out how to walk,” Jack says fondly.

Davey bats her hands away, sitting up. “I don’t _have_ to sit near you.”

“Oh, no, love, come back,” Jack whines.

“At least I don’t drink paint water,” Davey says, smirking, as she lays back down.

Jack pokes Davey’s side for that, earning a startled squawk.

“You two are a matched set,” says Katherine. She tips her head onto Sarah’s shoulder. “Both just walking disasters, both playing boys –“

“At least with Jack playing a boy, we can see each other properly,” Davey says, slightly defensive. Jack leans down and presses her lips to Davey’s.

Sarah hums. “At least with _us_ both girls, we can be alone together. Or should I go tell Papa that Jack is here?”

“You wouldn’t,” says Davey.

“I wouldn’t,” agrees Sarah. She laces her fingers through Katherine’s. “Do you ever wish everything was different?”

“What, that Di could wear trousers and I could kiss her in public?” Jack asks. “Every day.”

“It’ll happen,” Katherine says firmly. “Someday. We might not see it, though.”

“And in the meantime?” says Davey. She’s looking up beyond Jack, at the pink and orange sky.

“Jack keeps living as a man,” says Katherine, shrugging. “You keep suffering through skirts. Sarah and I stay _intimate friends_. More of the same.”

“Some life,” says Jack.

“Some life,” echoes Sarah.

“It could be worse,” says Davey. She turns her head to look at her sister and Katherine. “We could be men.”

The other girls dissolve into fits of giggles at that. They can’t stay here much longer – Sarah, _Dinah_ , and Katherine will be expected inside soon, as Katherine is staying the night, and if Jack doesn’t leave before it’s fully dark Racetrack will come looking for her.

(Davey knows Jack somewhat resents that the sixteen-year-old has appointed himself her keeper, but just because Jack _can_ take care of herself doesn’t mean she has to, and it makes Race feel better to look out for her. It makes Davey feel better to know Race – and Crutchie – is looking out for her, too, after what happened with Oscar a few weeks ago.)

They have a few more minutes, though. A few minutes away from the rest of the world, where they can just _be_.

Davey catches her breath, grinning up at Jack. God, Jack really is beautiful, especially in the warm light of sunset. Golden sunlight is catching on her hair, bringing out the varied browns that usually just read as _dark_. It’s settling on the high points of her face, the parts that go burnt red on Davey on summer days but on Jack are sun-bronzed tan. Even her hazel eyes look _more_ in this light. It takes Davey’s breath away all over again.

“Hey, Jackie?” she says softly.

Jack looks down at her, a half smile on her face. “Yeah, darlin’?”

“I love you,” Davey says.

“Do you now?” Jack replies, just as softly. “Well that’s awful nice to hear, ‘cause I love you, too.”

“Gross,” says Sarah. “Kitty, promise me we never look that sappy when we look at each other.”

Davey casts around for something to throw at her sister, but nothing comes to hand.

Katherine checks the time. “It’s getting late.”

“You two go ahead?” Jack says hopefully. “Davey’ll catch you up.”

“ _Will_ she?” Sarah says, her tone teasing. “Don’t be too long, or Mama will come looking.”

“I know,” says Davey.

Sarah and Kath stand up, and they have their own quiet moment of _ending,_ because while Katherine isn’t leaving they can’t be what they are alone in front of the family, before they climb down the fire escape.

Jack waits until Katherine and Sarah are gone to help Davey to her feet and sweep her into a kiss.

Davey presses her forehead to Jack’s when they separate. “I love you, Jack Kelly.”

“I love you, Davey Jacobs,” says Jack. “ _Dinah_ Jacobs?”

Davey wrinkles her nose. “Davey.”

“Davey,” Jack echoes.

“Race’ll come looking for you soon,” Davey says quietly.

“ _Fuck_ Race, honestly,” says Jack. “I’m eighteen, I don’t need a babysitter.”

“He just wants you safe,” says Davey. “I want you safe, too.”

“I can look after myself.”

“Race knows that.”

“I’m _okay_.”

“I know that.”

Jack sighs. One of her hands is resting just above Davey’s hip, and the other trails up and down Davey’s right arm. “I wish we had more time.”

“You’re going to see me in twelve hours, sweetheart,” says Davey. “Less.”

“That isn’t the same,” Jack says. “And you know it.”

“I know,” Davey replies. She kisses Jack again.

“Marry me?” Jack says. “I can’t give you a ring or anything, and we’ll always have to worry that we’ll be caught out, but –“

“Jack,” Davey interrupts. “Shh. Of course I’ll marry you, stop trying to talk me out of it.”

Jack laughs, light and breathy. “I don’t mean to talk you out of it.”

“Sure sounds like it,” says Davey. “Have you asked my father? You ought to do this right, you know.”

“I wanted to ask you _first_ ,” says Jack. “No point setting up an expectation if you don’t even want me.”

“Of course I want you,” says Davey. “That’s a silly thing to say.” She presses her lips to Jack’s forehead. “I’ve wanted nothing but you since we met.”

“You really are a sap, Jacobs,” Jack says, rolling her eyes. For all that she’s playing at teasing, there’s a genuine emotion in her voice and the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

“Don’t call me Jacobs when we’re having a moment, Jack,” Davey says.

“Sorry, sweetheart.”

“Better.”

“Ask my father, Jack,” says Davey. “He likes you, he trusts you to take care of me. And you and I can figure out where to go from there.”

“It’s a shame –“

“What?”

Jack laughs. “ _You_ can’t be the husband. You look a better boy than I do, and you’re taller. And you hate skirts.”

“If you think I won’t wear trousers around the house, Jack Kelly, you are sorely mistaken,” says Davey, also laughing. “You make a very handsome boy, though, if I do say so myself.”

“Not saying much though,” Jack says. “You don’t like boys.”

“That’s not true. Under the right circumstances, I think I could like Race quite a bit,” says Davey. “If you hadn’t come back, I think I would have.”

“Well, that’s Race, isn’t it,” says Jack, shrugging. “He’s _pretty_.”

Davey laughs. “And anyway, I think I’d like _you_ no matter what, even if you were really a boy.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” says Jack. She kisses Davey one last time before fully stepping away. “I should go, before my minder comes for me and your Mama gets suspicious.”

“You should,” agrees Davey. “Good night, I love you.”

“I love you,” replies Jack. “Good night.”

\--

“How was Davey’s?” Crutchie asks when Jack finally climbs up to her own rooftop.

“If you got’cha own sweetheart you wouldn’t have to ask about mine all the time,” Jack says instead of answering.

“That good, eh?”

“I hate you.”

“Did’ja ask?”

Jack sits down next to him. There’s an excited buzz under her skin. “I did. She told me to ask her father, but –“

“But?” Crutchie prompts.

“That she wants to,” finishes Jack. She elbows him. “So impatient, you. Couldn’t even wait for me to finish my goddamn sentence –“

Crutchie shoves her. “I’m just excited. You, girlie, are bad at doing things that make you happy just for the sake of making yourself happy. But you actually asked her!”

“I have to ask Mayer,” Jack reminds him.

“Shut up, doll, I’m basking in the moment.” Crutchie sighs. “I guess this means you’ll start lookin’ for that grown up job you’re always talkin’ about needin’. You reckon Racer’s ready to take over?”

“More than,” says Jack. “He’ll be good.”

They’re silent for a long time.

“Are you worried?” Crutchie asks. “Not about us, about – about you and Davey, getting caught. Pulitzer knows who you are.”

“Some,” Jack admits. “I like to hope we’re below his notice.”

“He doesn’t like you.”

“He’s not the only one.”

“Just be careful, would you, girlie? I love you, and I don’t want to see you or Dinah getting hurt,” Crutchie says. His voice is uncharacteristically serious, and he used Davey’s real name, which he always says puts a weird taste in his mouth. ( _It just doesn’t feel like her, you know?)_ It’s enough to tell Jack he means what he says without the change in tone.

“I know,” says Jack. “We always are, eh?” She throws an arm around Crutchie’s shoulders for a moment, then scoots away to her little nest of blankets. “Better call it a night. Sun’s rising earlier and earlier.”

“Yeah, spring’ll do that,” says Crutchie, laughing. “Hey! Just promise me, whenever you and your gal tie the knot, I can be there. Me’n Racer, even if you don’t want any of the others.”

“A’course,” says Jack. She lays down, staring up at the night sky. “Feels like change is comin’, Crutch.”

“Yeah, Jack, I think it is.”


End file.
